23/08/2025
Taming the ‘Monkey Mind’:
How to Quiet Anxious Thoughts with Additional Needs and Neurodiversity
Have you ever found yourself trapped in a loop of overthinking, where your mind fixates on one thought and won’t let it go?
People sometimes call this the “monkey mind”: the restless voice in your head that leaps from one worry to another like a monkey swinging from branch to branch. It feeds on distraction, thrives on comparison, and stirs up doubt. If left unchecked, it can overshadow your strengths and make daily challenges feel overwhelming.
During a recent session, someone with ADHD shared that their thoughts would keep circling back to the same small detail—whether they had said the “wrong thing” in a conversation.
Even though the people around them hadn’t noticed or minded, their mind replayed it over and over, creating anxiety and self-doubt.
That’s exactly how the monkey mind works: it grabs something small and magnifies it until it feels far bigger than it really is.
But why does this happen? And more importantly, how can we quiet it?
Why the Monkey Mind Shows Up
For many neurodivergent people—whether living with ADHD, autism, sensory sensitivities, or anxiety—thought loops are often the brain’s way of trying to feel safe. The mind latches onto a detail and spins it into a narrative that feels urgent and real.
The tricky part is that the monkey mind doesn’t always tell the truth. It distracts us from the bigger picture: our strengths, our progress, and the supportive relationships in our lives.
Six Ways to Quiet the Monkey Mind
1. Label the Thought
The first step is to name what’s happening. When you notice your brain spiraling, pause and say, “Ah, this is just my monkey mind.” Labeling it helps create distance so you’re not fully pulled into the spiral.
2. Reframe the Narrative
Instead of believing the thought, zoom out. If your monkey mind says, “I messed everything up in that meeting,” remind yourself of the bigger picture: maybe you contributed valuable ideas, or maybe people weren’t even focused on the detail you’re replaying.
Ask yourself: “Does this thought reflect reality, or is it just anxiety talking?”
3. Focus on the Core Truth
Bring yourself back to what you know is true. For example, “I am learning and adapting every day,” or “I have people who support me.” These core truths anchor you when your mind gets noisy.
4. Recognize the Pattern
The monkey mind always finds new material. Today it might be replaying a conversation; tomorrow it might fixate on a sensory overload moment or a routine change.
By noticing the pattern instead of the content, you remind yourself: “This is my brain looking for something to latch on to—it’s not the whole truth.”
5. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is one of the best antidotes. Whether through deep breathing, grounding exercises, or short meditations, these practices help settle the mind.
As the saying goes: “The pond has to settle before you can see the bottom.” Even two minutes of mindful pause can help.
6. Offer Yourself Compassion
Finally, be kind to yourself. Anxious loops and repetitive thoughts are habits of the mind—not failures. Meet them with curiosity and patience instead of frustration. Say: “It makes sense my brain works this way, and I’m learning to guide it more gently.”
The Bigger Picture
Everyone has a monkey mind. For those with additional needs or neurodivergence, it can feel louder and harder to manage, but the moment we notice it and use these tools, we take back our choice.
💥The next time your monkey mind starts chattering, pause, name it, and come back to the truths that matter most: your strengths, your progress, and the life you are building. The monkey mind may be noisy, but it doesn’t get to run the show.
P.S. Which of these 6 approaches speaks to you most? Hit reply and share a line or two—I’d love to hear.
